DeKALB | With the NIU football team’s dream of a MAC title gone, it only has one chance to extend its season: through a bowl bid.

Unfortunately for the Huskies, the scenarios which need to play out to earn this extra game are not crystal clear.

“We’ve mentioned it to the players,” NIU coach Joe Novak said. “People have said some teams in leagues for bowls may not qualify. And having a player like [running back] Garrett Wolfe makes us attractive.”

Right now, the MAC’s three main bowl tie-ins — the GMAC, Motor City and International Bowls — would go to MAC East leader Ohio, MAC West leader Central Michigan, and Western Michigan. All have a 7-3 record.

Kent State, Akron and NIU all sit at 5-5, and neither of them play each other in these last two weeks. Also, Bowling Green and Toledo are 4-6. Teams need six wins to become bowl eligible.

NIU’s best bowl chance

A fourth-place MAC team’s best chance to earn a bowl game comes with the Birmingham Bowl. ESPN.com said this bowl would pit a Conference-USA team against a Big East or MAC team.

“There is the potential for a fourth MAC bowl bid as the MAC is believed to be the ‘fall back’ option for the Birmingham Bowl if one of its two conference affiliates, Conference USA and the Big East, are unable to provide an eligible team,” said Dave Ruthenberg of macreportonline.com.

The Big East has seven bowl tie-ins, five bowl-eligible teams and two teams that have a chance to become eligible. Cincinnati is 5-5 and still has to play undefeated Rutgers and Connecticut. Interestingly enough, UConn, who is 4-6, is the other team that can become bowl-eligible if it wins its last two games.

Thus, if Cincinnati gets chosen for another bowl and UConn doesn’t win six games, the Birmingham Bowl would most likely go to a MAC team that is bowl-eligible.

C-USA has five bowl tie-ins, four bowl-eligible teams and four teams that can still qualify for a bowl game.

Second best bet

The Emerald Bowl pits an ACC team against a Pacific-10 opponent.

The PAC-10 has enough teams to fill this bid, but the ACC currently does not have enough bowl eligible teams.

The ACC has eight bowl tie-ins, six current bowl-eligible teams and three teams that have a chance to become eligible. Florida State and Miami-Florida have a 5-5 record while Virginia is sitting at 4-6.

In order for a MAC school to have a chance for this bowl game, either FSU or Miami (FL) would have to lose their last two games and Virginia would have to lose at least one game. One of Virginia’s games is against Miami (FL), while notably FSU has a game against Western Michigan.

A Big Ten mess

The Big Ten has seven bowl bids. Six teams are currently bowl eligible, while Indiana and Minnesota can still become eligible if they win this weekend.

The Champ Sports bowl and Insight bowl are the two games which will most likely have a choice of any bowl eligible team if either of these teams, who are 5-6, don’t win their final game.

The real shake-up will occur from the aftermath of Ohio State versus Michigan, who play this Saturday. The game pits the No.1 and No. 2 teams in the Bowl Championship Series standing.

Despite the outcome, the rankings could work out so that OSU and Michigan would have a rematch in the national championship. However, Wisconsin is currently ranked No. 9 in the BCS, but would not go to the Rose Bowl in order to fill the Big Ten’s tie-in with that bowl game.

A former bowl representitive, NIU Senior Associate Athletics Director Glen Krupica said no more than two teams from one conference can play within the five BCS games. This will be the first year there are five BCS games.

If OSU or Michigan do not make the BCS title game, then one of those two teams would go to the Rose Bowl.

Although, if Minnesota and Indiana don’t win this weekend, then the Big Ten would have one bowl tie-in game which it wouldn’t be able to fill. This would leave the door open for one other team to extend its season.

Major schools make major pains

Back in 2003, NIU went 10-2, but the Huskies failed to receive an at-large bid for a bowl game. Instead, Northwestern, which barely qualified with a 6-6 record, got an invite. NU faced Bowling Green in the Motor City bowl that year.

But Krupica said the ruling has changed for this season. Bowl eligible teams with better records must be chosen first. Thus, in 2003, the Motor City bowl would first have to choose a bowl eligible team based on their record, and then by who they wanted.

However, NIU will still have to face competition this year against schools with a larger name. South Carolina, Arizona, UCLA and Kansas can all become bowl eligible, yet may not be locked for a conference tie-in bowl game.

Bowls that are not fulfilled by tie-ins, or have an at-large bid, will be interested in picking up these teams as they present the possibility of bringing in more attention, fans and money than a mid-major school.

The Huskies may get one break, as Kansas will most likely not be picked for an at-large bid in the Insight Bowl. This is due to the fact that the game already features another Big 12 team. This was the same scenario NIU faced in the Motor City bowl in 2003. Regardless, this still leaves an opportunity for a team like UCLA, Arizona or South Carolina to fill up the bowl bid because of the new rule Krupica spoke of.

One slight advantage that NIU holds this season compared to 2003 is the star power of Wolfe. The senior is still the nation’s leading rusher with 153.3-rushing yards per game.

One slight advantage that NIU holds this season compared to 2003 is the star power of Wolfe. The senior is still the nation’s leading rusher with 153.3-rushing yards per game.